So, it’s safe to say the August Consistency was a total failure. From issues with my site to life getting in the way, my quest to serve myself did not go as intended. It feels like I blinked and then September is here. However, I will not give up. Another month, another challenge, another opportunity to triumph. It would be irresponsible of me to approach September the same way I approached August. So, I have been meditating on what went wrong, what can be better, and what I learned from my August failure.
Do Not Underestimate the Power of Planning
I had many ideas written for August, even organized post into themes. I was clear on what I wanted to write about. However, brainstorming did not translate into planning. Content calendar is king. To remain consistent it is imperative to have a content calendar that organizes and schedules post but it ensures the commitment to the date. When life gets in the way and distractions come up, the content calendar, is what it is. Much like how job and meeting calendars are commitment, the content calendar that maps out what has been brainstormed is key.
Planning is Not Enough
There s brainstorming, planning, and then the most important part, EXECUTION. You can come up with a million wonderful ideas, plan the most compelling and intricate details, yet, if there is no execution it does not matter. Execution is what matters to you and your audience. Whether your audience is your boss, coworkers, company, friends, family, clients, readers, or followers, it is what matters the most. If you execute nothing, you have nothing. Ideas and plans are just steps that live in a moment in time. Execution is the evidence of creation, breathing life into ideas and plans. For this consistency challenge, execution is bulk creating in advance. Not putting the pressure of being put on the spot. Giving myself the opportunity to create, sit in, and feel the rhythm of everything. It also makes space for the opportunity to share supplemental content on other platforms to let people know what’s up.
Use The Tools At Your Disposal
Sometimes we cause ourselves unnecessary stress trying to do things manually that someone has already created a solution for. For example, scheduling post ahead of time. I know some people, including myself love to click that publish button to make something go live. However, that little bit of thrill can get lost if something else comes up. This month I am determined to schedule as many post as possible. Not only because I want to kill this second round of consistency challenge but also because it will relieve the anxiety and then disappointment of not meeting my goal for whatever reasons may arise.
Environment Matters
The environment we create in matters. It affects the tone or spirt of what we are doing. I have faced the fact that more often than not, my work flows better when I intentionally create the space to zone in. This space is different depending on what I am doing, but important nonetheless. The consistent need of theses spaces it to be without distraction. The submission to the environment and work provide fertile ground to translate authentic, engaging, and compelling work.
Remember Your Voice. Trust Your Voice. Own Your Voice
I digest a lot of content daily. it undeniably affects me and the way I process things, including my own work. While enjoying other people’s work can be fun, stimulating, and even inspiring, we must draw the line. I noticed quite awhile go that some of the people I followed on instagram have the same aesthetic. With the age of TikTok challenges and voiceovers we often get swept up in people creating different versions of the same content. For some it work, for many people it does not. I constantly remind myself that no matter how much I love some of the things I see, it is important to stay true to me. It is easy to get distracted and feel the need to assimilate to what is working for others, but resist. No one can be you, that is your super power.
